2 women, man found dead in Banning home

September 6, 2011 12:00:00 AM PDT

By Leticia Juarez and Leanne Suter

BANNING, Calif. --

Three people were found dead inside a Banning home Tuesday afternoon. Police say the victims were murdered.

A call was made to the Banning Police Department about 12:40 p.m. saying the bodies of a man and two women were found in an apartment in the 100 block of Phillips Street between Ramsey and Williams streets.

The father of the male victim said that his 42-year-old son, Demetrius Earl Hunt, was involved in the drug trade and may have been killed by a rival gang.

"Unless you're an idiot, you don't go in and kill three people. So this was more like a vendetta, wanting to get rid of my son, get him out of the game," said Purvis Hunt.

Family and friends identified the female victims as being 33 and 57 years old.

A 2-year-old boy of two of the victims was initially thought to be missing, but he was found safe. Police found the boy bound and gagged in a converted closet. He was alert and was taken to the hospital to be checked out.

Neighbors said the three victims were the boy's parents and a family friend.